New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP legislators will on Thursday hold a peace march from the State Assembly to Raj Bhavan in protest against Governor Banwarilal Purohit's decision to withdraw orders for holding a special assembly session wherein the government planned to conduct a trust vote.
The Governor withdrew the order for the session to table a “confidence motion” called by the state government due to the "absence of specific rules" to do so. The ruling party has dubbed the decision as a part of "Operation Lotus", in reference to the Union government and the BJP.
According to inputs, 92 AAP MLAs, led by CM Bhagwant Mann, will march from Vidhan Sabha to Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh. The MLAs will start the march from the assembly at 11:00 am.
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Earlier, preparations were made to bring a confidence motion by convening a special session of the Punjab assembly.
In fresh order, the Governor said the September 20 order stands withdrawn in absence of specific rules regarding the summoning of the assembly for considering the 'confidence motion' only called by the Punjab government.
Mann took to Twitter to criticise the Governor's move saying, “The governor not allowing the Assembly Session to be held raises big questions on the country's democracy... Will democracy be practiced according to the representatives chosen by the crores of people or one person chosen by the Central government... There is Bhimrao's constitution on one hand and Operation Lotus on the other... the people are watching...”
Meanwhile, Kejriwal also reacted to the decision targeting the BJP: “How can the governor refuse a session called by the cabinet? Then democracy is over. Two days ago, the governor gave permission for the session. When Operation Lotus started failing and the number was not completed, a call came from above asking to withdraw the permission.”
The Punjab Cabinet approved the convening of a special session of the State Legislative Assembly on September 22 to move the confidence motion, as reported by news agency PTI.
A decision in this regard was taken at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
“This matter was examined and a legal opinion was sought from Satya Pal Jain, Additional Solicitor General of India. He has given his legal opinion that there is no specific provision regarding summoning of the Assembly for considering the 'Confidence Motion' only, in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business,” a release from the office of Principal Secretary to the Governor said.
(With Agency Inputs)